Single Market Strategy: tearing down borders

EPP Group in the European Parliament

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"The European Union can no longer afford to continuously lose the full potential benefits of the Single Market. Our economy could take advantage of an additional €615 billion per year by simply unleashing the Single Market's full potential. If we want to continue to seek support amongst Europeans for the European project, we must step up", said Lara Comi MEP, Rapporteur of the Single Market Strategy, after the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee adopted her Report today.

Comi added that it is essential for the success of the Single Market to convince entrepreneurs to go pan-European with their businesses. "Operating in the Single Market must become a normality, not the exception as it still is today for many", she said.

"We must work on what hurts the most. The Single Market should be more about SMEs, start-ups and consumers. We have to end unjustified barriers such as, for example, geo-blocking, do better when it comes to the sharing economy, where similar rules should apply to similar services, and help SMEs have better access to EU funds", said Comi.

The European Commission presented its Single Market Strategy in October 2015. The EPP Group then stated that it expects the strategy to revive the Single Market: in the EU, economic growth was just 1.4% last year, while unemployment for the last three years has been higher than 10%. An investment gap of €400 billion compared to levels before the crisis is being reported.

Comi highlighted in the Report that in cases of insolvencies due to late payments by public administration, or serious natural disasters, entrepreneurs should be assisted as soon possible.